Floor-clamp.



PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906. F. L. BUFF.

FLOOR CLAMP.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY l 0, 1905.

ventor;

- I Attorneys 1: zvarams PETERs cu WASHINGTON. p. n.

FRANK L. BUFF, OF EATON, ILLINOIS.

FLOOR -CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1906.

Application filed July 10, 1905. Serial No 269,077.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK'L. BUFF, a citizen of the United States,residing at Eaton, in the county of Crawford and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Floor- Clamp, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to devices for clamping and holding flooring,siding, weatherboarding, and the like while being nailed, and has forits object to improve the construction and increase the efliciency andutility of devices of this character.

ith these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, the same consists in certain novelfeatures of construction, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofv this specification, andin which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters,is illustrated the preferred form of the embodiment of the inventioncapable of carrying the same into practical operation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved device applied.Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the device. Fig. 3 is a sectional viewon the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of thepresserfoot detached. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a modified form ofpresser-foot.

The improved device comprises a base member 10, having ribs 11 12 spacedapart for bearing upon opposite sides of a joist (represented at 13) andwith the end opposite the ribs enlarged laterally, as at 14, andprovided with a central aperture 15. The ribs 11 12 depend from the armand are disposed at right angles to the longitudinal plane of the arm,so that both edges of the arm are alike to provide for operating thedevice from the right or left, as .hereinafter explained. Disposed uponthe laterally-extended portions 14 of the base member is a cam 16,having an eccentricallylocated stud 17 engaging the aperture 15 of thearm 10 and held rotatively therein by a clamp-screw 18. The cam member16 is provided with an integral headplate 19, overhanging the cam, andwith an integral handle 20'extending from the headplate. Surrounding thecam member is a cam-ring 21, supported in position by the lateralextension 14 and the plate portion 19 and provided with aradially-extending arm 22. Pivoted upon the free end of the arm 22 by abolt 23 is a foot member 24, having a longitudinal channel 25 forengaging the tongue portion 26 of the flooring, (represented at 27.) Themember 24 is also provided with spurs 28 to enter the body of theflooring 27 and prevent movement longitudinlally of the flooring whenthe pressure is apied. p In operating the device the member 10 is placedover the joist 13 adjacent to the section of flooring 27 to be clampedand. with the handle member set to move the cam 16 into its open orwithdrawn position, or reversed to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, whichrepresents the parts in position after the completion of the clampingmovement. The member 24 is then placed against the tongue 26 of thefloor 27 and the member 10 adjusted to a point as near the floor aspossible. Then as the handle 20 is operated the ribs 11 12 will bindtightly upon the joist 13, while the cam member 16 will force the footmember 24 with great force against the floor member 27 through itsaction upon the ring 21 and arm 22, and thus effectually close any openjoint which may occur between the flooring being directly acted upon andthe next floor member and likewise correct any irregularities in theshape of the floor members.

The same device may be employed for clamping and holding siding andweatherboarding by substituting a foot member with one side wall of thechannel portion wanting to adapt the foot member to the form of thetongue on material of this character, which is usually at one side.

The arm 10 being rotatable upon the stud 15 and the lever 20 being alsorotatable upon the member 21, the two members 10 and 20 can be quicklytransposed to reverse the implement and transform it from a right toleft hand implement. This is of material advantage in certainlocalitiesas, for instance, at the right-hand end of the floor or wallthe lever 20 and grip-arm 10 will be disposed in one position and maythus be employed at each joist across the building; but when theopposite wall is reached the implement cannot be applied to the floor orsiding at the left endunless the arm and lever are transposed. This isan important advantage and adds materially to the value and efficiencyof the implement.

The device is simple in construction, being formed of four pieces onlybesides the two bolts 18 and 23.

The ribs 11 12 on the member 10 are spaced a little greater distanceapart than the width of the joist 13, which vary from 2 to 6 inches ormore, and a plurality of the members 10 of varying sizes, or withgripping members spaced at different distances, may be furnished witheach of the cam and handle members, which may be readily attached bymerely removing the one screw member 18.

The two forms of the foot members 24 to fit different forms of materialmay be furnished with each device and readily attached by simplydetaching the one bolt 23.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is In a device ofthe class described a grip arm having spaced transverse ribs dependingtherefrom and disposed at right angles to the longitudinal plane of thesame, a lever pivoted to said grip-arm and provided with a camplateeccentric to said pivot, an annular member rotatively engaging saidcam-plate and provided with a radial arm, and a presser-foot swingingfrom the free end of said radial arm, said grip-arm and lever adapted tobe transposed in position relative to said annular member and its armand resser-toot.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK L. BUFF.

l/Vitnesses E. RUssELL, G. E. MGQUEEN.

